In this powerful episode of Apex Ascend, Rodney LaBruce speaks directly and honestly about why he is running, what he has seen on the ground, and why District 30 needs a new kind of leadership. Rodney shares conversations with Republicans and Democrats who, despite their differences, agree on one truth. Our community cannot afford another decade of the same failed strategies.

Rodney breaks down how the political system shapes silence, how worldview influences every decision, and why so many elected officials disappoint the very people who trusted them. He explains the pressure to bow to power brokers, the advice to follow the old frameworks, and why he refuses to walk the same path that has kept District 30 stuck.

This episode lays out a clear mission. Ending poverty by making District 30 self-reliant, building new infrastructure that serves the people, and creating a model that the entire country can follow.

If you are ready for honesty, clarity, and a vision built on courage, this is the episode you need to hear.

In this episode of Apex Ascend, Rodney LaBruce continues the “Understanding Poverty” series with one of the most important truths of all. Poverty is not random. It is not natural. It is created. And one of the engines that keeps it running is discrimination. Rodney breaks down the historical roots of discrimination, the coded language that evolved into modern policy, and the ways bias still shapes jobs, housing, education, lending, and healthcare today. If we want to end poverty, we must confront the systems that were built to hold people back. This episode is a call to clarity, a call to courage, and a call to action.

We’ve been told the same story our whole lives—go to school, get good grades, graduate, and success will follow. But what happens when you do all that and the door still doesn’t open?

In this episode, Rodney LaBruce takes a hard look at the myth that education alone can erase discrimination. From Devah Pager’s groundbreaking study on hiring bias to the wage gap faced by Black college graduates, this conversation breaks down how the system keeps shifting the goalposts.

Rodney challenges the idea that the problem is with individuals instead of institutions, and he offers a call to action for accountability, transparency, and truth. Education is powerful, but it’s not a cure-all—and it’s time we stopped pretending it is.

Listen to learn why District 30 isn’t just fighting for access, but for ownership of our future.

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